Propeller-wheel.



R. THALER.

PROPELLER WHEEL.

APPLIUATION Hmm JAN. 1e, 1908. v

. Patented. DBG. 8, 1908.

WITNESSES. MTW

, RNEY UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIoE.

ROBERT THALER, or BAY cITY, MICHIGAN.

PROPELLEBPWEEL.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT THALER, a subject of the German Em ire,residing at Bay City, in the county of ay and State ofv Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful .Improvements in Propeller-Wheels; and Ido hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use' My invention relates to proeller wheels, one object of which is to rovi e a propeller, the outerends of the bla es of which will al-i ways run in solid water. j

Another object of my invention is to provide means to absolutely preventeither endwise or rotatable movement of the propeller relative to thepropeller shaft.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features andcombinations, such as `will b e more fully pointed out hereinafter andparticularly referred to in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through the hub ofmy propeller applied to the shaft; Fig. 2 is a view in side e evation ofthe shaft alone; Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view through the ropellerhub and Fig. 4 is an end view o the propeller hub, the blades beingbroken away.

In former constructions of propeller hubs and shafts, it has been verydifficult to provide a connection between the hubs and the shafts whichwould prevent the propeller from ultimately wabbling relative to theshaft. Furthermore, in former constructions having a tapering shaft onwhich the hub of the propeller is driven and held by means of a locknut, it is very diHicult to remove the hub in case one of the blades isbroken.

Referring to the drawings, (A) indicates the propeller shaft, the rearend of which is tapered, as shown at (1), and provided with keys (2) (2)inclined from the tapered end of the shaft, the keys finally merginginto the periphery of the shaft (A). These keys are ocated about euidistant from each other.

The bore of (the hub (B) is tapered from end .to end, the bore beingprovided with vlongitudinally-extending channels or keyways (3) (3),which ways gradually increase in depth from end to end of the bore,finally merglng into the bore of the hub at its inner larger end. Theparallel key-ways operate to divide the bore of the hub into severalribs (4) (4'), which, owing to the taper Specification of LettersPatent.

Application'led January 16, 1908. Serial No. 411,126.

v (2) of the shaft.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

s are cut away and do vnot extend to the rear end. of the hub, butconstitute a seat for a suitable screw or fastening (5), which -isscrewed linto the rear end of the propeller shaft after the latter isinserted into the hub of the ropeller, the screw extending longitudina yof the shaft and by its engagement with the ends of the ribs (4)operates to force the propeller hub endwise 'onto the propeller shaft,the keys (2) (2) of the shaft eing received in the key-ways (3) (3,) inthe hub, the ribs (4) (4) of the hub being received in the spacesbetween the keys (2) The taper of the shaft and of the bore of the vhubare substantially similar so that a snug t is produced and it will beseen that by reason of the inter locking keys (2) (2) on the shaft andthe ribs (4) (4) on the hub of the propeller, movement of the shaft andhub relative to each other is prevented. Further than that, theengagement of the screw (5) carried by the shaft with the ends of theribs (4) (4) of the hub absolutely revents endwise movement of the hubre ative t0 the shaft, and

affords a very easy and convenient means for removing the whennecessary.

In all' former propellers with which I am familiar, the blades extendrearwardly so that the hub engages the water first and breaks it upbefore the blade. p blades work in broken water and donot impart so muchropelling force to the vessel as they would they engaged solid water.

It is. well recognized that the majority of the work done in propellinga vessel is derived from the end of the blade, which exercises thegreatest leverage against the water. Therefore, I incline the blades (6)of my propellerforwardly toward the boat in advance of the hub so thatthe outer ends of the blades engage the solid water first before it isbroken up by the hub.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Apropeller shaft having a tapered end, longitudinally-'extendingwedge-shaped keys on the ta ered end of the shaft, the forward ends ofthe keys merging into the shaft, a propeller hub, the bore of which istapered,

propeller from the shaft the inner periphery of the hub provided Thusthe I wedge-shaped ribs spread apart from each' with channels, theforward ends of which merge into the bore,.wedge-shaped ribs in the boreof the hub, the ribs received between the keys on the shaft, the keyslying in the channels in the bore, and means carried by the shaft andengaging the hub to prevent nkllorfrement of the h ub longitudinally ofthe s a t.

2. The combination of a the bore of which is tapere end and is providedwith channels whose ends merge into the larger end of the bore, a shafttapered at one end, keys on the tapered end, the keys at one end merginginto the shaft, and means for securingthe Shaft and hub against relativelongitudinal movement.

3. The combination of a propeller hub,

cpropeller hub,

other in the bore of the hub, a tapered shaft, keys carried bythetapered shaft and' received betweenthe ribs in the bore, the keysmerging at one end into the shaft, and means for preventing endwisemovement of the hub relative to the shaft.

4. The combination of a -propeller hub, wedge-shaped ribs spaced apartfrom each other in the bore of the hub, a shaft having a tapered end,wed e-sha ed keys on the tapered end of the saft, t e keys receivedbetween the ribs of the bore, the ribs at one end merging into the boreof the hub, the keys at one end merging into the peripheiy of the shaft,and means for preventing en wise movement of the hub relative to theshaft. A i

5. The combination of a propeller hub, Wedge-shaped ribs spaced apartfrom each other and extending longitudinally of the hub, the inner endsof the ribs merging into the bore of the hub, the outer ends of the ribsbeing cut awa a shaft having a ta ered end received in t e hub, ke scarrie onv the tapered end and receive in the spaces beu tween the ribs,the'ribs snugly fitting the from end to' tapered end of the shaftbetween the keys,V

blades, -the hub havlng a tapered bore, in which are formedvlongitudinally extending key ways, mer at their inner ends into the boreof the hu ribs separating the 'key wa s, the ribsl being widest at theirinner en and mer into the bore of the hub, the keys receive in the keyways, the ribs received in the spaces between each two adjacent keys andmeans-carried by the outer end of the shaft and countersunk in the boreof the hub for secu A the hub against longi- 'tudinal movement re ativeto the shaft.

7. A propeller mechanism comprising a shaft'tapered at its outer end,keys'on the ta red end, a ropeller hub, the bore of w ch is tapere and'rovided with keyways, the inner ends of W lch, merge into the bore ofthe hub, and a faste U means carried by the outer end of the sha andengaging the hub.

8. A propeller mechanism comprising a shaft tapered at its outer end,keys on the ta ered end, a ropeller hub, the bore of w 'ch is tapere androvided with key ways, the inner ends of w ch merge into the bore of thehub, ribs located between. each two key ways, and a fasten by the outerend of the sha and countersunk in the bore of the hub to retain thelatter on the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I ailx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' ROBERT THALER.

means carried

